Mobile machines such as haul machines are often used to haul material from a load location at which material is loaded into the machines to a dump location at which the material is dumped or discharged from the machines. When operating near a crest or high wall, raised contours such as one or more berms are often formed adjacent the high wall to act as a guide and, to some extent a stop, to assist in positioning the haul machines adjacent the high wall during a dumping operation. More specifically, the berms may include a sloped wall that is engaged by the tires of the haul machines to assist in positioning the haul machine for the dumping operations.
The berms may be formed by the work implement or blade of a mobile material moving machine such as a dozer. When forming the berm, an operator may utilize multiple material moving operations to position material a desired distance from the high wall. The operator may further manipulate the blade of the dozer multiple times and in a variety of manners to shape the material as desired to form the berm.
Once the berm is formed in the desired shape and position, it may be desirable to determine the position of the berm and generate an electronic map of the berm. In one example, a machine having a mapping system may be driven by an operator along the berm to capture data indicative of the position of the berm. In another example, such a machine having a mapping system may operate autonomously and follow the berm to generate the desired position data. In either case, the position data may then be used to generate an electronic map of the berm. The electronic map of the berm may be used to guide haul machines that are being operated autonomously at the work site or the electronic map may be displayed to operators of haul machines that are being operated manually or semi-autonomously at the work site.
One example of a terrain mapping system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,608,913. The '913 patent describes a self-contained mapping and positioning system for use in underground mining applications. More specifically, a survey system includes a laser scanner attached to an underground, remotely-operated mining vehicle. As the vehicle advances through the mine, the scanner scans the mine. The scanned data is converted into point cloud data representing the surface of the mine. The survey system then stores the point cloud data in a three-dimensional database, which is used to navigate the vehicle through the mine.
The foregoing background discussion is intended solely to aid the reader. It is not intended to limit the innovations described herein, nor to limit or expand the prior art discussed. Thus, the foregoing discussion should not be taken to indicate that any particular element of a prior system is unsuitable for use with the innovations described herein, nor is it intended to indicate that any element is essential in implementing the innovations described herein. The implementations and application of the innovations described herein are defined by the appended claims.